Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOS) denied that Steven Nelson (20-1, 16 KOS) was the most formidable opponent he has faced during his 3-pro career on Saturday night at the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan.
Although Pacheco didn’t name fighters who had given him a harder time, Shawn McCalman and Marcelo Coceres stand out as two he had significant issues with.
Exposed imperfections
Nelson was a nightmare for Pacheco, 23, as he hung in there until the later rounds and then came on strong in the 11th and 12th to take the punishment. He had to often hold Pacheco in these rounds to neutralize the attacks. Pacheco didn’t look impressive.
The two Nelson faults are exposed in Pacheco
- No inside game
- Uncomfortable with pressure
- No confidence: Nelson backed up Pacheco throughout the fight, forcing him to ground and hold.
The performance showed that Pacheco is vulnerable and can be hit by fighters who put pressure and power on him. On the other hand, Nelson showed that Pacheco fights even against no-punches if you can attack him relentlessly.
“Anybody in the top five. I’m ranked #1 with the WBO and Top Five with the other sanctioning bodies,” Diego Pacheco told The after the press conference When asked who he wants to fight next after his win over Steven Nelson on Saturday night.
“Maybe maybe,” Pacheco said when asked if Steven Nelson was his toughest opponent. “I didn’t feel like I was in any trouble in any rounds. Maybe the last round, where he caught me with a few punches, and I had to tighten up a little bit. Steven Nelson showed big heart and a big chin. But other than that, nothing else.
“I showed my skills and my game plan was much better. I felt like I was never tired in any round. I felt like I controlled the pace and controlled the race. I could have gone more rounds if the race was longer” , Pacheco said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy67xtrxx9w
